Faye Springfield: Man Indicted in 2013 Hopkinsville Killing

Faye Springfield, 53, was killed inside her apartment in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on July 30, 2013. More than 13 years later, a Christian County grand jury has indicted Jason Van Patterson, 55, of Lancaster, Kentucky, on a murder charge in her death. The indictment came on Friday, October 16, 2026, two months after Kentucky State Police tracked Patterson to a home in Garrard County and took him into custody.

For most of those 13 years, Springfield's case sat as an open warrant. Hopkinsville police had named Patterson as their suspect as early as 2014 and later made public appeals for help finding him. The grand jury's decision now moves the case from a long manhunt into the courtroom, where Patterson is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

Who Was Faye Springfield?

Faye Springfield was 53 years old and lived in an apartment at Pennyrile Village on Bassett Avenue in Hopkinsville, according to WSMV. A 2019 report by WPSD Local 6 identified her as Fay Springfield Wadlington; more recent coverage of the indictment uses the name Faye Springfield. Little else about her life has been made public in news coverage, but police said years ago that they hoped an arrest would give her family "the chance for some closure."

What Happened in Hopkinsville in 2013?

On July 30, 2013, police were called to Springfield's apartment after she was found unresponsive, WSMV reported. An autopsy determined that she had been killed.

According to the 2019 WPSD Local 6 report, which cited the arrest warrant, investigators said DNA evidence from the scene was linked to a robbery in Lexington that happened the same day. That report also said Patterson's truck was later found abandoned in Lyon County in October 2013. An arrest warrant charging Patterson in Springfield's death was issued in August 2014.

A Search That Lasted More Than a Decade

Patterson was not found for years. In August 2019, the Hopkinsville Police Department renewed its call for public help and released his photo. Police said at the time that he had ties to several Kentucky communities, including Madisonville, Georgetown, Maysville, Lexington and Lancaster, as well as to parts of Ohio and to Canada, LEX18 and WPSD reported. Hopkinsville-Christian County Crime Stoppers offered a cash reward for information leading to his arrest.

Has Anyone Been Arrested?

Yes. Kentucky State Police said investigators learned where Patterson was on August 12, 2026, and tracked him to a home on Polly's Bend Road in Garrard County. On the morning of Friday, August 14, a KSP Special Response Team and other units went to the residence to arrest him, FOX 17 and Local 12 reported.

Police said that after lengthy negotiations, Patterson refused to cooperate, fired a weapon at law enforcement and ran into a wooded area. Troopers on the ground and a state police aircraft searched for him. He was found on a cliffside, where he appeared to have been hurt in a fall of about 40 feet. Rescue crews lifted him out with a rope system, and he was taken to the University of Kentucky's Albert B. Chandler Hospital, according to Local 12.

After his release from the hospital, Patterson was to be served with the Christian County murder warrant and a separate theft warrant. WHOP Radio reported that he is now being held in the Christian County Jail, and WSMV reported that his bond is set at $1 million.

What Police Have Said

Most details released since the August arrest came from Kentucky State Police statements. State police said Patterson "refused to cooperate" before the shots were fired, and FOX 17 reported that "the investigation remains ongoing." Police have not publicly said what led to the August tip about where Patterson was living, and no motive has been announced.

Patterson has been charged and indicted, but he has not been convicted of any crime in Springfield's death. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. News reports did not name an attorney speaking for him.

What Happens Next

With the indictment returned, the case moves forward in the Christian County court system, where Patterson will have the chance to answer the charge. A court date had not been reported at the time of writing. Any separate charges tied to the shots fired at troopers in Garrard County have not been detailed in the coverage reviewed for this article.

Timeline of the Faye Springfield Case

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is charged in Faye Springfield's death?

Jason Van Patterson, 55, of Lancaster, Kentucky, was indicted for murder by a Christian County grand jury on October 16, 2026. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

When and where was Faye Springfield killed?

She was found dead in her apartment in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on July 30, 2013.

How was the suspect found after 13 years?

Kentucky State Police said they received information about his whereabouts on August 12, 2026, and arrested him two days later at a home in Garrard County. Police have not said who provided the information.

What is his bond?

WSMV reported that Patterson's bond is set at $1 million. He is being held in the Christian County Jail.

MotiveX covers cases like this in documentary form on YouTube.

Sources

• WSMV: Man indicted 13 years after Kentucky woman's death
• WHOP Radio: Christian County grand jury indicts Lancaster man for 2013 murder
• FOX 17: Man wanted in 2013 Christian County case captured
• Local 12: Kentucky suspect captured after standoff with state police
• LEX18: Hopkinsville police ask for help locating 2013 suspect (2019)
• WPSD Local 6: Police search for suspect in Hopkinsville woman's death (2019)